Manic Monday — Great Time To START

Back in December, I shared with you the first and only book recommendation that I’ve officially made here at REMODELING CLAY, when I sang the praises of Jon Acuff’s Quitter. Without even a dusting of exaggeration, I can tell you that Quitterchanged the way I looked at my future and had a measurable impact on my eventual decision, and ability, to go “all in” on this site. While Quitterwon’t help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up, it will give you the real-world motivation to chase a better future without endangering the present.

Last week, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to get an early peek at Chapter 1 of Jon’s new book Start. Like so many people in this world, you have dreams… you have goals… you have things that you want to achieve. As Jon would say, you want to be AWESOME. I’ve mentioned before, not the biggest fan of the word awesome… but he’s right. When you were young that’s what you dreamed about. Your awesome job with your awesome friends doing awesome things to bring home awesome money to feed your awesome family.

This is all in addition to the book itself… which you were going to read anyway. Pre-ordering Startis a no-brainer.

I know… this feels like an informercial.

This feels like I’m schilling something.

Friends…there is a huge difference between schilling and sharing.

I’m sharing this information because I believe in the message. I’m sharing because I’m living in a way that, I hope, is taking me down the road to that awesome life that I’ve always dreamed of. I want that for everyone. I’m not being paid. Jon and his team are not holding any members of my family hostage, though there was a strange van in front of the house Saturday with Tennessee plates. To get cheesy and borrow from a different John… “…you may say I’m a dreamer… but I’m not the only one.”

Now… a quick look at all the leftover randomness from the weekend in our weekly Manic Monday.

***

…Grammys were this weekend which I like to think of as my annual reminder that (a) I’m getting old (b) that there is very little good music being made these days (c) that Rock and Roll is dead and (d) that, with zero effort on my part, I see more “side-boob” and near-nipple in one three and half hour simulcast than I saw in my entire adolescence…. and I was TRYING to it then!

…Speaking of horrible music… Justin Bieber hosted Saturday Night Live this week and did the unthinkable… he showed that there’s something worse than his music… his comedy. He basically played himself in every sketch and never did it well. No excuses, Biebs. Musicians like Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and even the recent job by Adam Levine (Maroon 5) have hit home runs. Young “teen sensations” like Linsey Lohan (who hosted at 17) and Miley Cyrus (at 18) have done good if not great in their first shot. Plus… he’s Canadian! Canadians are bred to be funny.

…Like the NFL Player’s Association, if there is a “Movie Henchmen” Union, I bet there is a lot of talk at their annual meetings about concussions. Those guys take the old “butt of the pistol to the back of the head” move a lot in movies. There has got to be some long term effects from that. Also, how come every “good guy/girl” in a flick knows how to do that move? And how come they always get it right the first time?

…How weird is it that no one has quit The Pope job in 600 years? Not a single guy was like “meh…wasn’t for me…” What does The Pope do once they pick a new Pope? Does he get demoted back to Cardinal? It’s fascinating. Not much precedent to go on here. I hope he keeps his Twitter. All of sudden a bunch of Instagrams of his feet at the beach and big German meals.

***

Thank you all for making last week our biggest week since launch! All the new faces are so great to see! Keep coming back! Tell-a-friend!

“Good communication, team work and strong relationships within a company make all the difference not only for the employees, but also for the clients who get great service,” said Jennifer. To her, remodeling is “fun every time, and it’s wonderful to work for a company that does such a fantastic job at it.”

[…] A couple of weeks ago, I told you about Jon Acuff’s up-coming book START that I’m super excited about hitting the shelves this week. Acuff’s Quitter has been a real game-changer for me and my decision to “go all in” on this whole creative thing and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on START. […]

Clay Shaver ("Remodeling Clay") is a Writer, Blogger, Speaker and Host of the "Remodeling Clay Podcast". He lost 228 pound with no short-cuts, no gimmicks and no reality TV! He is a marathon running, "diet" bashing, debt-free living, Stay-At-Home Dad helping the world find the "BEST VERSION of YOU"!